As you may be able to guess by the name, rice bran oil is the oil derived from rice bran, the hard outer layer of brown rice that’s removed to create white rice, says Elizabeth Ryan, Ph.D., a rice bran researcher and professor at the University of Colorado.
Once the bran (which would likely otherwise go to waste) is removed, its oil is typically extracted using chemical solvents. There are other technologies to extract the oil as well, including expeller pressing and supercritical fluid, which involves using high-pressure carbon dioxide to remove the bran, says Ryan.
Once extracted, rice bran oil is then refined to remove waxes and free fatty acids, which often burn and smoke when heated, to make it suitable for cooking.
Rice bran oil is largely produced1 in Thailand and India, and it’s a popular cooking oil in many Asian countries2, including Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. Since it has a smoke point of 490 degrees Fahrenheit—one of the highest of all cooking oils—and a neutral yet slightly nutty flavor, rice bran oil is useful for frying and baking, says Ryan. It’s also a popular ingredient for stir-fries.
The oil can act as an emulsifier and prolong shelf life, so it’s also found in highly processed foods.
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